Forced draft hot-air heater



NOV. 4r1 947 E. E. ELMoRE ETAL 2,430,393

FORCED DRAFT HOT AIR HEATER Filed May 2. 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nv.l 4, 1947.

E. E. ELMORE EI'AL FORCED DRAFT HOT AIR HEATER Filed May 2. 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 figg/27 I Patented Nov. 4, 1947 FORCED DRAFT nor-AIR HEATER Elbert E5. Elmore and Rudolph F. Leger,

Chicago, Ill. Application May yit,I 1941, Serial No.` 391,496

This invention relates in general to a heater of the central unit type, more particularly described as a iireplace heater for utilizing wall space in anl 4 Claimsr (Cl. 1267-110) ordinary living room usually occupied by built-in cases, cupboards, alcoves, and the like, and simu-v lating a fireplace in which the actual combustion is visible. i I

An important object of the invention is in the provision of a central heating unit located in` one room for heatingother adjacent and individual rooms on the same iloor or different oorsby a system of ducts in the walls or covered by furring, plastering, or other materials located in the rooms, and also providing cold air return passages around the heating ducts leading back to the heater or unit.

Other objects of the invention are: to provide an enclosing frame structure to which may be applied an exteriorsuriace made of` or resembling brick, stone, plaster, or other material in any style or type, and resembling a fireplace with a mantel; in providing a heat distributing and return duct system leading from and returning to the heater with the return air surrounding the heating duct; in providing an insulating space between the sides and bottom of the heating unit and the enclosing casing in which a blower is also connected to insure circulation of the air; in sealing the gases and products of combustion within the heat generator,`butin making visible the iiames of combustion through a transparent fireplace plate; in providing a heat generator in which the crown sheet is inclined and has a surface greaterI than the transverse area of the unit; in connecting a fuel economizer section as a part of the generator unit in which the gases are directed in inclined planes and over an inclined baille to the outlet flue; in providing a hollow, in-

clined, transverse air passage inside of a baille with a projection at one side to .cause a change I in the static air pressure at opposite" ends of the air baiile for insuring the circulation of air therethrough; and in general, to provide the construction herein shown and described.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear' in the specification and will be apparent from the accompanying drawings, inwhich Fig. 1 is a perspective of a replace heater in accordance with this invention located against the wall and resembling an ordinary fireplace Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the heating unit and fireplace` structure shown in Fig. 1;`

Fig. 4`is a sectional view taken on the lines t- A 'Y of Fig. 3; and I Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view talren ontheff lines 5'-5 :of Fig. 3. This invention isdesigned and intended fired or lused `with any fuel, particularly gas or oil, which lends itself to thermostatimautomatic", z. orlsemiautomatic control.A It is intendedthat thermostatic and electrical'controls are provided. at the unit and in the various rooms served therei, by for automatically increasing and decreasingif K the amount of heat, and for similarly controlling Athe operation of the blower in accordancetl'iere-A with, all of which is a well known practice inn,V connection with heating systems andV forms noY i,

particular part of the present invention.

' Referring now more particularly to the drawings,vthe heater unit is described for a gas burner` f having a plurality of `burner nozzles lll Witha pilot Il connected to a valvedsupply pipe I2.-` Each burner is located atthe bottomofa metal heating shell I3, the bottom and `side walls being spaced from an inner enclosing casing I4 ofrsheet metal, such, for example, as galvanized iron or f Vthe like, and providing an insulating air. space between theshell and casing@ The'upper end or crown sheet VI5 of each heater unit is inclined at an angle of 30 or more from the horizontal to provide an increased surface area greater: than that of the transverse areaof the heater or gen-iv erator. One or morev generator units or shells I3 are connected to a fuel economizer I6 by means of a tube I1 at the lower edge of the crown sheets- I5, the bottom I8 of the economizer being subf stantially parallel to the crownl sheet I5` but spaced therefrom and forming an air space vI9 between them.

In theeconomizer is an inclined baille-20 formed :1 ,of sheet metal and inclined substantially paral' lel to the bottomv I8 at a, distance therefrom prot At onerside v only of the economizer I6, the top, 2| o nlyof` viding a transverse airspace 2|.-

this air baille projects beyond and into thelair space between it and the inner-,casing I4 to cause a change in the static air pressure at the oppolsite side thereof to insure a-ilow of air transll versely through the baille.

`Projecting from the side of the economizer ad t jacent the baille 20 is a discharge Iiue or pipe` 22 extending also through the inner casing Il for discharging the products of combustion. This constructioninsures that the heated gases' will engage the crownisheet and pass downwardly toV shells. The width of the economizer is increased '.to accommodate additional heater units or shells I3, and the inner casing I4 is made suiciently large to accommodate the heating and economizing units, vand to provide an air space at the outside all around them and at the top and bot- `tom below the units. At the top, the casing I4 'is connected to a warm air outlet duct 23 for distributing heat to the various outlets 24 in the `same room or in adjacent'rooms.

An outer casing 25 is spaced from the inner casing I4 to 'provide fa surrounding return -air space 26 which connects with the heating shell I3 at the lbottom thereof through a lower combustion inlet 21 surrounding the fuel pipe I2, and also through an upper inlet 26 through which kthe burner nozzles are more accessible.

The outermost or front heater unit is provided with a metal shell or frame 29 extending through the outer wall of the casing 25 and has a transparent partition or window 30 thereinrof glass or similar material through which the flames of combustion arising from the burner are visible, the Aposition and location of the frame and window being such that the heater unit may appear as, or resemble, an open fireplace.

The exterior surface of the casing 25 may have a finish resembling brick, stone, plaster, marble, plywood, iron, or any other material, and by providing-an upper projecting ledge 3|, a design of any period or style may be provided, closely resembling a mantel-piece or fireplace. Extending vupwardly from Yand communicating with the interior lofthe casing 25'ls a cold air return casing 32 which surrounds the warm air outlet duct l23.

'Branching outwardly from the upper end of the'casing 32 are return air ducts 33 which may be built into the walls or partitions of the room or :rooms in which they are located, or they may be -built outwardly into the room yaround a distributing warm air duct 34, leaving a, return air space 35 surrounding and between the outer enclosing wall 36 andthe warm air duct.

From'this rreturn air space 35, a cold air passage 31 may be formed between adjacent building studs 36 with a cold air inlet or register 40 at the bottom thereof.

In the air space 26, between/the inner and outer casings i4 and 25, an air fan or blower 4l .is preferably located having a central inlet 42 and discharging from an outlet 43 into the air space surrounding the heating and economizer units within the inner casing.

With this construction, the operation of the` fan 'or blower will cause cold air to be drawn' economizer and above the crown sheet will be heated'thereby and will be forced outwardly through the warm air duct and into divisions thereof 'and through hot air registers 24 which communicate with the main or branch or warm air ducts 34 wherever they may be located. At

4 the same time, the inlet of the fan draws cold air from the inlets or cold air registers 40 through the cold air passages surrounding the Warm air ducts, thereby tempering the warm air which is discharged from the outlet and gradually heating the air which is drawn into the blower or fan.

If desired, yone or more combustion air inlets 44 may be provided through the floor adjacent the inlet of the fuel pipe l2 for admitting air to the burners through the combustion air passage 21 to insure that there will be enough fresh air to support combustion.

Air is also admitted to the burner through the passages 21 and 28 from th'e bottom of the cold air space 26 in the normal operation of the heatlng system, the products of combustion passing outwardly through the flue 22 from the economizer. Even though the blower 4| is not operated, a circulation of air from duct 23 will be afforded in substantially .the same manner by with removable end panels 45 each seated at the i bottom in a return bend socket 46 and having a removable fastener 41 at the upper end by means of which the panel is held in the socket. With this construction, the burner and the blower are freely accessible from opposite ends of the mantel.

This heater system has the advantage that it is all accessible from one floor, no basement connecti/ons are necessary, and all of the air ducts may be located within the confines of one floor. The heater itself is easily accessible for repair, replacement, andadjustment, and the walls of the cold air return space are easily accessible for cleaning. Y

If desired, the air circulating system may be used without the heater for Ventilating and for cooling purposes. Various changes may be made in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A heater construction comprising a burner and a heating shell in which it is enclosed, a heat economizer above the heating shell, a Warm air casing in which the shell and economizer are con tained, the bottom of the economizer being inclined to the horizontal, a baffle in the economizer parallel to the bottom sheet adjacent the lower end thereof, and a tubular connection between the heating shell and the economizer at the lowerend of the economizer and below the baille therein, in which the baffle is hollow and forms a. transverse air space through the economizer open within the warm air casing at both ends of the baille.

2. A heater structure comprising a burner and a heating shell in which it is enclosed, a heat economizer above the heating shell, a warm air casing in which the shell and economizer are contained, the bottom of the economizer being inclined to the horizontal, a baille in the economizer parallel tothe bottom sheet adjacent the lower end thereof, and a tubular connection between the heating shell and the economizer at the lower end of the economizer and below the baille therein, in which the heating shell and the economizer are enclosed in a warm air casing which is spaced therefrom, the baille being hollow and providing an air passage extending through the economizer and terminating at its ends in the air space, and the upper side of the baille being extended into the air space at one end only to induce the air circulation through the hollow baille.

3. A heater comprising a burner and a heating shell in which it is contained to form a generator, a heat economizer at the top of the generator, the top of the generator and the bottom of the economizer being similarly inclined to form a transverse inclined air space between them, a tubulaiconnection between the generator and the economizer at the lower end of the econornizer, a bale in the economizer above the inlet thereto also inclined parallel to the bottom of the economizer, and a ue outlet from thel economizer opening from the side above the baffle on the opposite side of the inlet.

4. A heater comprising a plurality of generator units, each comprising a burner enclosed in a heating shell, an economizer at the top of the heating shells, the top of the heating shells and the bottom of the economizer being inclined to provide an inclined air space between them, a tubular connection between each shell and the economizer at the bottom of the air space, a hollow baille in the economizer above the bottom connection thereto and inclined to the bottom of the economizer, an enclosing casing spaced at the bottom, sides, and top from the generators and economizer, adischarge flue extending through REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 505,096 Erwin Sept. 16, 1893 l5 1,306,420 Felton June l0, 1919 2,190,997 Somers Feb. 20, 1940 2,223,492 Limbers Dec. 3, 1940 2,199,840 Royall May 7, 1940 2,072,517 Gille Mar. 2, 1937 1,681,995 Miles Aug. 28, 1928 2,160,269 Joiolemon May 30, 1939 2,174,572 Esson Oct. 3, 1939 2,058,094 Merrill Oct. 20, 1936 1,413,826 Bowen Apr 25, 1922 2,193,735 Mueller Mar. 12, 1940 1,942,936 Reznor Jan. 9, 1934 2,089,407 Norris Aug.` 10, 1937 1,175,254 Gailey Mar. 14, 1916 1,931,959 Holmes Oct. 24, 1933 1,413,826 Bowen Apr. 25, 1922 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 639,003 France Mar. 5, 1928 

